(Oct. 22, 2018) — UTSA will host a forum, Free Speech at UTSA, from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 24, in the Student Union Retama Auditorium (SU 2.02.02) on the Main Campus. The event serves as an opportunity to promote civil discourse on UTSA campuses and, from a scholarly perspective, discuss the legal basis of freedom of speech.
>> Watch a livestream of the forum.
Panelists include attorneys with special expertise on the subject of free speech at universities and colleges:
- John L. Watts, Charles B. “Tex” Thornton Professor of Law at Texas Tech University
- Daniel H. Sharphorn, Vice Chancellor and General Counsel at the University of Texas System
- David J. Hacker, Special Counsel for Civil Litigation for the Office of the Attorney General of Texas
The panelists are expected to discuss topics including what is and is not protected as free speech, what constitutes hates speech, and a college’s or university’s role in supporting freedom of speech. The panel will be moderated by Jill Fleuriet, associate dean of the UTSA Honors College and associate professor of anthropology.
As part of efforts to encourage students to be civically engaged and active participants in civil discourse, the university has created a Civic Discourse and Engagement website with resources and information on curriculum integrations and programming.
